Russia's Putin Set to Sign U.S. Adoption Ban

12/27/2012 11:06AM

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he intends to sign into law a bill that would ban Americans from adopting Russian children. WSJ's Mike Esterl discusses the ramifications such a law would have on U.S. families seeking adoption, and how it could further harm U.S.-Russia relations.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

I ... the the ... the beest Nightline ... yes today ... they'll ... Buy American families with all things Russian children ... was unanimously costs by the Russian Parliament's ... and today despite ways of criticism ... in by Russia and the U S president London AP Tan has said ... that he has every intention of signing the bill internal ... meaning that it'll come into effect on January passed ... on to Mr for some like Aso is an identity or at ... least until some American families go be affected by the plant ... running like Einstein Russia joining us to mourn ... now both noticed and ... briefly remind us of the context of this band is frustration against U S legislation ... that was a nice as added this month ... against Russian human rights finances case has little to lol ... yet it's it's called the magnets key act mandates named after Russian that hedge funds ... some operator who is that you die in prison in two thousand and nine ... aam after alleging ... widespread corruption in government ranks ... and that involves hundreds of millions of dollars ... down and down under the Act ... you basically these isn't assets can be frozen ... for Russian officials may be involved in corruption ... so many people are pointing out the irony that American attempts ... to ... legislate against human rights violations on Downing the Russians are targeting woman both an exception and vulnerable target saying the Russian orphans ... this trade in those arguments being made in the US but also around and in many circles in in Russia ... aam this couple things going on warning is down ... maybe yeah there's a poll that came out ... recently in Russia and will the morning half of the people supported the band ... of black children being adopted an incentive nine states allow this was about ... Tom Russians feeling that we should be taken care of our own ... ALM so bad today in his comments on the race that issue and talk to that that ... that certain media for storing down some some pride ... in in Rashi and take care of ... orphans and they can spend more resources on that question is how quickly can they do that the one hundred thousand ... found that the children and state orphanages and in the Shia ... eighteen thousand Russian families have found ... have applied for adoption ... says a lot of children that are still looking for homes by a nine day that the U S ambassador to Russia and Lachlan fullest and outspoken in his criticism ... even going to pretend ... to talk about how he says ... I he agrees with hundreds of thousands of Russians who want children remain from political debates ... how many American families are likely to be affected by the battle perhaps ending the phase out and say ... how many Russian orphans now a liking to beef to not be ... found adoptive parents who come to families in this country ... will the number of some children to be adopted from Russia in recent years has been declining but still though I'm rushing and children are still the still the Number three country in terms of town ... of the orphans ... who are adopted from overseas to us ... from just under a thousand were adopted last year ... aam and before that down the numbers were higher it's been dropping in recent years and you might remember in two thousand ten ... that it was a case involving a mother and Tennessee who adopted at the center year old boy ... and then put back on planes back to Russia saying that he does while and then she said his or her life ... back traded down understandably quite a controversy and firestorm insistence than it's been a lot of back and forth ... between Russia the US over this issue ... aam and so the numbers have been dropping ... in and out without around fifteen Russian orphans here in the price and said they found American adoptive families at ... an EU been talking ... to from and to have already got one ... adopted Russian son I'm of the content of not becoming one of the expenses ... your yet they had a sense of family in Atlanta suburb aam there in their late forties aam and and Kurt ... Seuss ... and they adopted in two thousandseven they brought home ... a boy who was thirteen months old ... now is to stand ... down from an orphanage just outside of St Petersburg Russia ... and that they're celebrating their after Christmas I just don't see this week ... aam and that the earlier this year they applied the word ... to adopt a second child from Russia ... started the process in February from last time it took them about ten months from start to finish ... the aam they're coming out now on more than ten months and they were so even before this band ... aam was passed by Parliament by the adoption agency that it could be ten or twelve to eighteen months ... before they receive any sort of Werder value potentially troubling or a share ... from two to the process forward ... now I can do this and comes into effect on Sunday the rest of the that ... that despite breaking Mike McConnell and has recently making a series of steps and in a US influence ... in a sign of Russia ... I'm getting something done things like USA was going on how we like you can see ... a real treat in Russian American relations all these diplomatic tying goals ... evidence of that and who am I when it comes to ... Maisie areas of cooperation between Russia ... and ... the US was on pole ... and a dozen ... times a surprise to us choose Amazon t think any of the of the fact that ... but the damage that's a big carrots and the question is still unclear what makes the message isn't signals coming out of them coming out of Russia ... aam there is that when you some of the authorities in Russia or ... are done ... basically argue this is more for domestic consumption ... and ... that is not something that is going to spiral down into something ... much bigger ... aam but sometimes these things take on life growing and ... so their sound has quite a bit of concern ... not only for the for the children and whether or not on you finding homes and families ... but for the broader price bilateral issues ... like half hour on the spot and I'm thinking that my should I can't think of times when the inevitable fall on the story isn't about us in the payback ... the next day Telkom tight to him sometime this tonight ...